


The Intertwining of Life and Death

by Cianthefirst



Series: Champions [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Child Abuse, Elemental Magic, Family, Gen, Hogwarts First Year, Lords of an Ancient House, Magic, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Necromancy, Pre-Hogwarts, Wizengamot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:28:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27303409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cianthefirst/pseuds/Cianthefirst
Summary: The world has always been a mysterious place. For Harry and his elder twin Jacob the world has been cruel. Lost both of their parents and stranded with a family that does not want them. They only truly have each other and hope to one day make it out of the hell hole they have been placed, However a chance comes in the form of two strange adults. A beautiful woman and a sickly man. They tell the brothers the truth of their mother's sacrifice for them and of the details of the deal she made with the entities that saved them.Join them on their life before Hogwarts and their first year through it. Can they deal with monster and tasks bestowed on them by death and life.
Series: Champions [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993474
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. An accord is struck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily in a desperate measure calls upon an ancient entity found in an old diary belonging to her husband James' family. She calls upon this entity in a bid to save her children's lives from a mad man who hunts them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :) welcome to the champion series. This is my first time writing out a book and posting it for other people to read. This (if everything goes well) fic will span all of Harry's and his brother's years at Hogwarts and maybe after (not sure yet on that part). I welcome you to review and hope that you enjoy what I have for you. Please feel free to leave a comment or review, however if you do please be mindful of both yourself and others. Without further ado, welcome and read.

31 October, 1981 Evening   
\------------------------------------

“Lily! Get the boys and run. I will hold him off as long as I can.” Yells a man with short black locks and glasses while pointing a wand at the front door

The woman nods, an anxious look on her face. She picks her two sons and sprints for upstairs.

Sounds of spell fire rage downstairs in the little house in Godric's Hollow. Lily arrives in the room with stars painted of the roof and children's toys strewn about. She places her children in their cots. She places her hands atop the runes craved into the side of the cots. She pushes all the magic she has hoping to any deity that will listen that her children be protected.

With a teary glance she looks towards her darling boys. "Mommy l-loves you, you k-know that." She eventually chokes out. The sound of spell fire begins to get louder and the house shakes with the force of magic being cast. Lily gives a weary look towards the door. She knows that the protections will only do so much, only delay what cannot be stop. She knows they will only provide a small amount of time before the inevitable. She knows what she has to do. She releases a breath and with that thought in her mind she pulls on the last dregs of her magic and proceeds to cast a ritual.

James, her husband, had never believe what the book had said, the books from James Ancestors. It was a book, a grimoire, of spells and history for a family that married into the Potters. The book spoke of partnership being struck with the beings that created everything. The book was the grimoire of Ignotus Peverell. He spoke of being a friend with an entity he named Death. He and his brothers were children when a spell accident had happened that put them closer to their own deaths. They were not going to survive when suddenly a figure appeared before them. It spoke of it watching them and seeing their potential. It afford to them a chance to be saved if they were willing to become his servants. If they would be willing to fix the balance of the world. It said that if they all agreed it would bathe them in its magic and heal them. Afterward he would teach them its unique branch of magic. The brothers had accepted and so they were saved. Their bloodline was intertwined with the entities. They had become servants of what they termed as Death.

The book contained not only Ignotus' stories but also all the spells he was taught which now under ministry law would be termed as dark magic. One of these spells was a payment spell. The user once bathed in the entity's magic could call upon and a wish granted, however the more impossible the wish the more needed to be sacrificed. She herself could not make a wish because her bloodline was not intertwined with the entities, however her beautiful sons were. She had secretly few days after their birth, when she had told James that he should go celebrate with his brothers in all but blood, done the first ritual which would connect her children to the entity. She was at war and knew that she may not outlast it. She did this to give her sons more power, more protections. She never told James of this because she knew that he would not understand. He would see it as dark magic and that it should be destroyed, thinking it would corrupt his sons and make them evil wizards.

She knew differently however. Although the magic had a touch of dark it also had a touch of light. From the diary she knew that although the brothers were servants in the contract the made, they were actually friends with the entity. Everything they did to help the entity helped them in kind. Saving them wherever it could. 

"I call upon my once old friend." she spoke the words hoarsely trying to quell her fears and more importantly tears." I beseech you now oh great one to come forward and aid your servant’s helper." The moment the words were past her lips the world greyed. The raging sounds bellow her now silent and the world around her colourless. 

"You are not part of mine bloodline, yet you have married into it. Therefore I head your call." a deep voice said.

Lily turns sharply to the sound that emanated from behind her. She held back a gasp. Before her now stood a man. The man although shockingly tall even dwarfing her 6 foot 2 husband was not an imposing figure. The man wore black formal pants with black formal shoes with a white button-up shirt and a black waistcoat. The man's hair was long and straight reaching down to the middle of his back. The hair looked like it swallowed all the light around it, as if it was a dark abyss. The man's skin was deathly pale and his eyes looked like a starry night lit up by the moon with white irises. He stretched his hands out in a calming motion. He gestured for her to come forward.

Lily comes forward hurriedly "My lord, please help mine. We don't have a lot of time but-"

"You need not worry. I have asked my brother to give us time uninterrupted so that we may speak." interrupted the man before the woman could continue further.

"Thank you for coming to her my plea, oh great one." replied the relieved woman in a firm voice.

"It is I who should thank you Lily Potter. You have taken your children and bathed them in my magic reawakening my bond with this bloodline once more." the man said grinning calmly. "Ignotus and his brothers were the first and last whoever truly swore themselves to me. They had died before they could truly pass on my teachings and no one before you ever believed their books. So thank you Lily. Now, let me hear this plea." He gestures for her to speak.

"Great one, a mad man has just broken into our house and my husband is doing all he can to hold him off but I fear we won't be able to survive. I ask please save my children. You saved Ignotus and his brothers surly you can save my Hadrian and Jacob." pleads Lily.

The man gives a sad shake of his head "I would if I could. It has been long since any of this world remembered myself and my family. We are weaker now because of this."

Lily with a heartbroken expression tears flowing down her elegant face "Plee-ase I-I wou-uld d-do any-anything. I would-d sac-acri-fice anything." Crying openly but with a look of fire in her eyes. Lily brings her hands to her face trying to hide her tears from this cruel and harsh reality.

The man gives her a solemn look and gives a sigh "There is one way for you to save your sons and defeat this evil for a time, however when you say you will sacrifice anything, do you truly mean it?" The man's gaze bores into her judging her very soul and all that she is worth. "When the evil enters the room sacrifice yourself, put your life in bargain for theirs. Your love and sacrifice will be enough for me to save your children from inescapable doom, however by doing this you are swearing your children to me. Before this they were merely believers, now they will be mine true servants. Are you prepared for this?"  
Lily's head snaps out of her hands and she looks at the man. She lets out a shaky sigh and nods her head with a determined look. "Thank you. I am." she whispers hoarsely.

The man gives his head a shake once more "No need to thank me, I thank you for being a true mother to your children." and with those words the man sticks out his hand for Lily to shake. "Let us make a deal Lily Potter nee Evans, Consort Lady of house Potter."

Lily straightens her back, standing with all the courage she can muster up, and she places her hand in his. Immediately black as abyss ribbons materialize along their entwined hands. The ribbons then shoot with blinding speed to both her precious children, connecting them to her deal. After a breath she speaks "I accept your deal, Death."

The man gives a small quirk of his mouth the man replies "And I accept your payment Lily Potter" with the words spoken the ribbons fade away as if they had never been there and with that the deal was sealed.

"What happens now?" enquires Lily a solemn look on her face.

"Now you get one last time to hug and kiss your children and although the world is frozen in time, they will hear you." replies Death backing away from her so that she may go to her children in peace.  
Lily takes Death's words to heart and goes to her children. She picks up her youngest, Hadrian, and brings him to her chest. He is silent and grey like the world around him. She brings her mouth to his tiny forehead and gives it a kiss. She hugs him close to her. "I don't to leave you my darling Hadrian." she chokes out. "But if I can save you and your brother, I will do it." with that she places her baby back into his cot and walks towards his brother.

She gives a small watery chuckle upon seeing his tiny frozen face scrunched up and displeased. She slips her hands around him and picks him up. "Hello Jacob. Mommy loves so very much but I and dad are going to be gone soon, so I need you to protect your brother in our place. He gets sicker than you and without us there he will need you. You are precious and I will forever love you and I know dad is the same" She lays a kiss upon his forehead and places him in his cot. She turns back to Death and gets his attention. "I am ready." she says softly.

"You are very brave." replies Death.

"No, I just love my children more than I fear you."

"Then it is goodbye for now Lily." And Death fades away bit by bit “I believe you made the correct choice.” With that final sentence Death is no longer present.

She just merely nods her head. The world suddenly regains its colour and the sound which had been silent now roars until suddenly a spell is cast and she hears the thump of a body. She chokes back a cry knowing now that her James is dead. She goes and stands in front of the cots and faces the door to the nursery. Second by agonizing second she waits with baited breath as she hears the evil approach the nursery.

Not even a few moments later does said evil appear. It is a man with fiery red eyes that make her think of hell fire. He has no nose and appears snake like. "Move aside, I am only here for the children." he rasps out his eyes glaring into hers.

"Never" she replies fiercely.

“Move aside girl. You need not die.”

“Take me instead but don’t take my darling children.”

“I will say this one last time girl. You know who I am. You can’t beat me. So step aside girl.”

“Take me instead.”

"So be it." He points his wand at her and takes a breath and shouts "Avada Kedavra." With those words spoken a green light flares out of his wand straight to Lily hitting her in her chest. She falls dead in an instant. The man not realizing that he accepted the bargain. The man walks up to cots stepping over Lily's body. He looks into the cots contemplating who to kill first. With a maniacal grin he levitates one of the babies into the cot with the other. He then points his wands at the two innocent children and speaks with a smile "Avada Kedavra."

The eerie green light shoots out of the man's wand towards the vulnerable children. But at the moment the spell came in contact with the bearer around the cot, the runes on the side glow a pitch black and pure white interchanging, it flung itself back towards the man killing him and turning him into a pile of ashes with only his wand and robes remaining while the bearer shatters and part of its magic striking the two children across their foreheads leaving a Strange Lighting bolt scar. The magic exploded outwards leaving the room destroyed.

The house now lay silent and destroyed. Nothing heard but the quiet whimpers of two sad children looking at their mother’s corpse calling out to her and wondering why she won’t respond. The two boys hold each other’s hands still crying out. A plump man comes in and sees the pile of ash and whimpers knowing that now there is no escape. He grabs the wand that lay on the floor and prepares to finish what his master started. He is startled when he hears a popping sound from outside. He immediately disappears with his own pop. Some time later comes a man with dark greasy hair. He comes forward and cries out seeing the love of his life dead. He cradles her body mourning. He spends minutes there quietly crying ignoring the children. Shocking the man out of his mourning is the sound of a motorbike driving. He gets up and leaves.

\------------------------------------  
Elsewhere nearby  
\------------------------------------

Death stands on the hill overlooking Godric's Hollow. After his deal with Lily he took vigil over the village and more importantly his new servants' now decrepit home. He watches the proceedings with a blank expression from James' and Lily's death to Voldemort's own. To Peter Pettigrew taking Voldemort's wand and finally Severus Snape's mourning of Lily. He watches them all leave only for a motorbike to land and a half giant to get off. The man runs into the house trying to see what he can do. Death watches all of this in silence. He senses a familiar flair of magic behind himself. He turns his head to the approaching figure. Before him stands his twin sister, Life. He hears her soft melody voice.

"You and I both know what Fate has in store for them, brother."

"They are now our servants and I will help them all the way."

"Yes, as if that is not a mystery in its own right." replies Life sardonically

A frown mars Death's face "You know Fate had this planned."

A laugh escapes from Life "Of course Fate did. He had bound their bloodline so that none after Ignotus and his brothers could be your necromancers and my druids. He said that our servants would be to powerful and tip the balance of the world. So he curses all of Ignotus' books so none of his blood believe them and now strangely this woman is married into the family which reignites tradition." She says with a somber air around her. "I don't envy those children brother. What they are going to have to face is far out of the reach of most mortals."

"And that is why we accepted them as our servants and why Fate has allowed us. He wants us to help." replies Death "When they are older, we will come to them and give parts of our power and teach them how to be champions. They will stand as light and dark of this world balancing it and protecting it from all that would do it harm."

"Yes we will brother, yes we will." agrees Life.

Together they say in tandem "An accord is struck and our champions are chosen.”

With the oaths complete both retreat from the little village of Godric's Hollow knowing that someday soon they will meet their champions again while said champions are carried away by the half giant and a man with rugged dark hair pops away off to get his own revenge not knowing he has sealed his own fate and that of his godsons.

\------------------------------------  
Later that evening in Surrey  
\------------------------------------  
A man with a great long white beard and strange purplish robes stands in the middle of a city Street. He raises what appears to be a lighter and slowly but surely do the lampposts around the street have their light drain into the lighter. The man waits in the darkness as a tabby cat walks up to him. When the cat arrives it transforms into a green robed witch with a stern look on her face.

"Albus, you can't leave the boys with theses, these people" says the woman.

"Now now Minerva they are the last bit of family that the boys have left. It is only right that they go to them and with them here I can erect a powerful ward tied to the love of family and I will need the Potter boys to stay with their aunt and her family." smiles Albus with a twinkle in his eye.

"But Albus they are the worst sort of muggles I have ever seen! I have been watching them just this evening and already they act atrociously. The first years have better manners then they do! Why can't one of the order member's family raise them?" Minerva all but screeches.

Albus gives Minerva a scathing glance "I know what I am doing Minerva and if they are to have the best protection they need to be out of the Wizarding world. It is for the best Minerva. We need to protect them as best we are able. It is what James and Lily would have wanted as to do." says Albus.

Minerva has a conflicted look. Is this really the best way to protect them from the remaining death eaters. She gives a sigh and nods "As you say Albus."

She and Albus walk up the street of entirely identical homes until they stop before number 4 Surrey. "Who is bringing the boys?" questions Minerva. Not a moment too soon do both hear the sounds of a motorbike. They both look to the sky to see said motorbike flying through the air driven by a very large man. He lands and gets off the bike carrying to sleeping bundles.

"Poppy looked over the boys and said' nothing was wrong." tells the man as he approaches Albus and Minerva.

"Well done Hagrid. You and Minerva head on back to Hogwarts. I will deliver Harry and Jacob to their aunt." says Albus sweetly.

Hagrid nods goes back to the back and flies off into the night. Minerva looks apprehensive but the look in Albus' eye tells her that she won't win this argument. She releases a sigh and apparates away leaving Albus alone with the two children. Now with the audience out of the way Albus goes the homes doorstep and places down the two children in a basket he transfigured out of a nearby stone. He places a letter on top of the sleeping boys and smiles. Everything will be alright is his last thought as he apparates away.

While the two boys were left to their new relatives, the rest of the Wizarding World celebrated this night, the night two boys were orphaned, as the night they were free from tyranny and that their world was finally free of war.

On the other side there were the followers of the evil lord who despaired and cried out that it was false. Some made plans to secure themselves while others thought that they must go find answers, damn the consequences. 

However everyone had forgotten about the little family in Godric’s Hollow and the now orphaned boys.

\------------------------------------  
1992 Surrey Dursley’s Household  
\------------------------------------

By the time the two boys were too big to fit in their lone cot the two of them were placed in the cupboard under the stairs while their cousin was given two rooms. One a playroom and the other one another play room but merely with a bed. 

The two boys were left alone most of the day and were only allowed out at certain times to relieve themselves. When needing to eat the two were given the remaining scraps from when the rest of the family had finished eating.

The brothers although young were far more advanced than those of their age group they could speak many words that they heard the adults around them say. They could have conversations with each other but kept themselves quiet around the adults.

As time passed on the younger of the brother Hadrian or Harry to his brother had started to get very sick. He had become very pale and he was unable to do anything. He would tell his aunt and uncle that please they needed to help. 

“P-please, h-help him h-h-he c-can’t m-move” the boy, Jacob pleaded.

“Stop this now boy!” shouted the obese man who happened to be his uncle.

“He will be alright so leave us alone!” screech the horse faced woman who had the honor of being his aunt.

Trying to control the stutter in his voice and the fear in his heart he speaks “Please, please. I will do anything, just help him.”

The man, Vernon, merely growls and grabs Jacob by his shirts and drags him towards his cupboard.

“Please, no he won’t survive. I hate you. I hate you! Let me go!” Screams Jacob trying futilely to get out of the Vernon’s grip

“Why you little brat!” Vernon shouts.

He opens the door of the cupboard and throws Jacob into the darkness. He shuts the door. “No food. For a week!” says the man and with that the family returns to the sitting room to enjoy an evening of Tellie having already forgotten about the two boys.

Jacob crawls forward banging the door whispering “N-no, I-I h-hate you. I-I w-will g-get you f-for th-this -” 

His sentence is interrupted by a wheeze. He turns sharply to look at his brother lying on the floor. He can barely make him out but they have been in this dark place for so long that they can see somewhat.

He goes to his brother sitting down and pulling him into his lap and hugging him tight. The body in his arms gives no reaction to these actions. “Please whoever is out there help us. Help him.”

Jacob looks around to see if anything has change and gives out a cry when nothing changes. He lays his brother down and closes his eyes and wishes as hard as he can that Harry will get better that Harry will survive. 

“AHh” 

He snaps his eyes open to look down to see his brother is breathing easier again, but what is more shocking is that his hands glow with a soft pale white light. The light slowly starts to envelope his brother and slowly the paleness of his brother’s face starts to disappear. 

He cries out in joy only to despair because at the moment he no longer focused on his the brother the light stop. He feels tired and wants to sleep, but he knows he can’t. He can save his brother, he has power and he just needs to stay awake.

Puts his hands back on Harry and wishes again but nothing happens. Tears start to leak out of his eyes. No I can’t fail now, not when I have the power to save him. He tries again and again getting more and more tired until eventually before he even realizes it that he fell asleep.

\------------------------------------  
The Next Morning  
\------------------------------------

Jacobs wakes up slowly not really remembering what happened before. He blinks his eyes slowly looking around in the dark wondering what was going on. After a moment he realize that there is a body lying on his arm and chest. He looks towards to see his sleeping brothers face and then it hits him. The night before where the Dursleys abandoned him and Harry, left Harry for dead. These thoughts fill him with rage, anger and hatred towards his so called family. He remembers the light he wished for and how it healed Harry. He shakes the thoughts from his mind and begin to inspect Harry seeing if there is anything wrong that he needs to bring the light back to heal.

As he jostle Harry in the cramped space of their room he hears coughing interrupting his worrying thoughts. His head snaps to his brother only to see emerald green staring back into his. Harry gives him a weak smile.

“Hey brother-ack” He speaks only to be interrupted by his own cough.

Jacob gives him a relieved smile and then tentatively ask “How are you feeling brother?”

Harry pauses for a moment to think. Judging how sick he feels compared to yesterday which he can only barely remember. He looks his brother in the eye and gives a reassuring smile “I am doing alright. Ack. Still a little tired.”

“That good but you still need to sleep. I will stay awake and look after you, okay?” Jacob replies tenderly.

“Sure Brother.” Harry replies

Harry turns onto his side and begins to doze off. Jacob silently listens to his brothers breathing until he knows he has gone to sleep. Once asleep Jacob focuses his thoughts onto what he truly did yesterday. The power he used to heal his brother. Jacob concentrates on the feeling that he felt from yesterday and tries to feel it again. He wishes the light to come again. Nothing happens.

For the rest of the week, while Jacob and Harry were locked away with little to no food, whenever Harry feel asleep Jacob would begin again and again to try and call forth the power he used to save his brother.   
Sometimes the light will flicker for a moment and then disappear, but at least Jacob knows that he didn’t imagine the power. He has power. He has a way for him to protect and save his brother.

\------------------------------------  
1995 Surrey Dursley’s Household  
\------------------------------------

Years from that night Jacob never told Harry about his powers. Harry was sweet and innocent and didn’t need to know about his powers but Jacob watched over Harry just to see if he had any powers. He asked random questions, at least random for Harry, about whether or not he had powers.

As the two of them got older so too did they get bigger even if they were starved and most of the foo went to Harry to try and keep him healthy. The two were eventually at the age of four were food into Dudley’s junk, play, room with a single broken bed and cupboard and broken toys strewn all about the room.

After two years of none stop practice Jacob was finally able to call forth his power if only a little bit. He would use his power every night on Harry irrelevant of whether or not Harry was sick. Since he started using his powers on Harry, Harry slept better and when he was sick the symptoms were not as bad and it did not last as long. Jacob would always wake up tired in the morning but he felt that it was worth it to make his brother’s life slightly easier.

With getting older they got a bigger room, they also started to get a list of chores from cleaning the whole house to preparing all the meals to doing everyone’s laundry.  
Harry found an escape in cooking, he enjoyed the pleasant feels that ingredients made. He enjoy the little bit of flavour he got from the table scraps left by the Dursleys. The cleaning of the house was not too bad but he did not like how much he had to do. He also did not like that he and his brother were separated the whole day with one of them doing all the inside work and the other doing all the outside work.

Jacob found solace and peace in gardening. The cultivating of plants, catering to the flowers’ needs and the feeling of success he got from getting difficult plants to flourish. All of this brought him joy.  
He too did not like that he was away from his brother but knew that there was nothing he could do but work faster to get to his brother quicker. However Petunia gave him another reason to hate her when she enter his garden as hers and won the street’s yearly gardening competition. 

Jacob hated that she used his work as her own but could not bring himself to kill or destroy the plants that he loved so much.

\------------------------------------  
1996 Surrey Dursley’s Household  
\------------------------------------

Starting school had been the hope for the two boys. They had spoken of getting less chores because they had to be at school. Harry thought of the library and all the knowledge he could learn. Jacob thought of the freedom it would bring Harry and him and the chance of getting friends would they could play with like Dudley and his gang of bullies. Jacob would never admit that he was jealous of Dudley that he had friends and Jacob did not.

This hope was not to last. The teachers would ignore whenever Dudley and his gang went after him and his brother. Whenever something went wrong that Dudley caused he would blame it on the Potter brothers and the teachers would believe Dudley and refused to hear either of the Potters’ complaints.

When the two would try to make friends Dudley and his gang would charge in and chase away all their potential friends and then later bully them so that they would never come back to the Potters.   
So the two Potters were left friendless and lonely at school having everyone turned against them. When at home they were punished and separated only to get a reprieve at night.

Both Harry and Jacob were smart however Harry proved himself to the most book smart by spending all his free time he could in the library reading all kind of books from math to English to just simple fiction. The library became a sanctuary for Harry.

However this knowledge did not land up in Harry’s and Jacob’s marks because after the first time he and Jacob were forced to bring their marks home they were both punished because their marks were better than Dudley’s.

The two were shoved into their room for a week and were not allowed in school for a week, Vernon having called the school to say that they were both sick.

As Harry got older he became more and more confused over why his family seemed to hate him and his brother until eventually the bringing of the reports home.

Harry and Jacob came in through the front door and Harry slowly walked towards his uncle Vernon.

“U-uncle Vernon, um, here” showing his report card to uncle Vernon. “The school said that we should show you and Aunt Petunia.”

“I don’t care boy!” shouted Vernon.

Harry shrank back pulling his report back “S-s-sorry U-uncle Vernon.” As Harry was walking back to his brother he heard Petunia asking about Dudley’s report only for her shrill voice to shock both Potters  
“You freaks, lets me see your reports.”

Both Harry and Jacob looked at each other before slowly walking towards Petunia.

“Hurry up!” her voice sounded like glass on a chalk board.

A few moments later Harry and Jacob had given their reports to Petunia standing silently in front of her while she compared theirs cards to her son’s.

A near whisper was almost missed by the two Potters “How did you cheat?”

“B-but we didn’t Aunt Petunia.” Harry answered before Jacob could stop him.

“You liars! There is no possible way for you to have beat my darling Dudders without you having cheated. So how did you cheat!” she replies

Harry shouts desperately trying to get her to listen to him “But we didn’t cheat. You have believe me please.”

“Vernon, throw them in their room. Now!”

Jacob tries to pull Harry so that he is not hurt but it was too late. Vernon grabs both of their shoulders and drags them up the stairs kicking and screaming only to reach their room open the door and throw them in.

Harry runs for the door trying in vain to get them to believe him only for him to reach the door and have it slammed in his face. Harry falls to the ground crying while Jacob slowly walks to his brother so he can comfort him

“Wh-why, wh-why w-wo-won’t th-they be-believe m-me?” sobs Harry.

Jacobs has a solemn look on his face before he answers “Because they don’t like us Harry.”

“Bu-bu-but th-they’re ou-our fam-family.” Harry continues to sob.

Jacobs kneels down in front of his younger brother, his sweet innocent brother who does not understand that just because they are related does not mean they will love you, and hugs him placing his head in the crook where his neck and shoulder meet. “Shuu. It’s alright. They might not like you but I baby brother will always love you.”

“Bu-but ca-can’t w-we b-be a-a fa-family wi-with th-them.” he asks with tears streaming down his face onto Jacobs shirt.

Jacob pull him closer and shakes his head. “I, I don’t think we can brother.”

“Bu-bu-but th-they’re ou-our fam-family.” He repeats as if that is the answer to all the problems of the world.

Jacob holds him tight not knowing if there is anything he could say that would convince his brother that the Dursleys are bad to them. After a moment with only the sounds of sobbing in the room does Jacob answer his brother.

“They give us a lot of chores and they have locked us away in this room and the cupboard under the stairs for no reason.” Jacob speaks trying to get his brother to understand.

“Bu-but a-all ki-kids ge-get ch-ch-chores fr-rom par-rents.”

“Yes they do but the chores aren’t meant to take us the whole day. We are meant to be kids not servants.”

“Bu-but wh-why do-don’t th-they lo-love u-us?” questions the distraught boy.

“I don’t know. I don’t know brother.” And that is all Jacob can say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there is the first chapter. hope you enjoyed and I looked forward to seeing you next week with the next update. There is no set updating schedule but I will try to update once a week. Bye for now dear readers :)


	2. A Greeting of Old Friends

1988 March, Surrey Sunday

"Get up you freaks. I want breakfast down by the time Vernon and my little Dudleykins have woken up." screeches a voice from behind the door to Jacob's and I's room. We have had this room since Jacob and I could not fit inside the cupboard under the stairs. We slept their till we were four years old, so their solution was to stuff us into Dudley's second bedroom. He stores all the toys he breaks here. I stand up stretching my back and hearing my back clicking. I look to my brother still fast asleep and sigh.

I shove his shoulder "Come on wake up you lazy head."

He stirs "Ahhh, why are you waking me up." He sits up slowing rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

I giggle, his hair looks like a cow liked it. It is standing up vertical. "I didn't wake you. Aunt Petunia did."

Now awake Jacob flattens his short auburn locks. "Horse-face wants to give us more chores doesn't she." he grumbles

I give him a look "You know she doesn't like that name."

He snorts "She can't dislike what she can't hear."

I shake my and gesture towards the door "Come on we are going to get in trouble if we take any longer."

He nods and stands up. We both leave the room and go down the stairs and head towards the kitchen passing our old bedroom. we arrive in the kitchen seeing aunt Petunia preparing this morning's breakfast. "You get over here and make breakfast. I expect a full breakfast and if you even try to take food I will shove back into the cupboard." she orders me. "You get these trash bags outside" she points to the full trash cans in the kitchen. We both nod and move to do our respective tasks.

I go to start cooking, only barely able to reach the stove. As I am struggling to cook aunt Petunia walks up behind me and scoffs at me and places down a piece of paper. "Here are the rets of chores for you and your brother today. Get it done before dinner or else your brother and you will go hungry tonight." with her piece said she heads back up stairs probably to go wake up her husband and child.

Still cooking Jacob comes walking back inside and asks "Is there anything else the slave driver wants us to do?"

I sharply turn my head and glare at him "The list on the counter over there." Pointing to the list aunt Petunia had put down.

Jacob nods and take a glance at it "Mind if I take gardening. You know how much I hate dusting the house." he pleads

I smile at him indulgently "It's not that you hate dusting it is that you love gardening."

He blushes

"Sure take it I don't mind dusting and cleaning, but when you are done you better come back inside and help me." I say

He looks relieved "Thank you. It just . . . I feel like I am home when I am gardening. It reminds me of our little garden in the park." I smile remembering the day we found a small grove in the large park nearby. the park had its own forest that joggers run through. We were running from Dudley and his crew of friends and their favourite game of 'freak hunting'. While we were running away I tripped us and we rolled down a small hill through some bushes. We had stumbled upon a grove that had a strange stone structures that looked like a doorway. We go there when ever we can and recently we have start growing some flowers and herbs there.

"You know the food looks like it's burning." I jump shocked out of my recollection and quickly turn to the stove only to see that the eggs are not burning. I hear laughter behind me and scowl. I turn to see my brother holding his stomach failing to keep his laughter in.

"Brother, that wasn't very funny." I smile sweetly and start to walk towards him. He sees this and quickly backs up

"Come on, you gotta admit that it was funny." he smiles weakly.

before our argument can continue the sounds of multiple steps coming down the stairs is heard. I quickly turn around and return to cooking the breakfast. Uncle Vernon walks in and sits down at the table. He points to Jacob "Set the table boy."

"Yes uncle." softly growls Jacob.

Dudley runs past Jacob and heads to the sitting room to watch some TV while aunt Petunia Joins us in the kitchen. Once breakfast is finished Jacob and I lay the food down for the rest of our so called family. Uncle Vernon and Dudley stuff themselves full, eating so much it makes me green in the face while aunt Petunia is just nibbling on some toast with a little bit of butter on it. They are all eating while Jacob and I stand quietly in the corner of the room watching hungry.

Once they are all down, they all head to the sitting room leaving their plates and scraps for us to eat and clean. After we have eaten and cleaned the kitchen we head off to do our respective chores. At the end of the day my hands sting due all the bleach I used to clean the floor. Throughout the day aunt Petunia would go to either Jacob or I and find faults in what we were doing and punish us as she saw fit. For me the floors were not pearly enough so she told Vernon to take a belt buckle to my hands. Jacob on the other was to 'dirty' when he came inside to help and was hosed down with cold water leaving him near frozen.

We make it to dinner with our chores done so at least we can eat tonight. Again we wait for the Dursleys to finish eating and then we eat their scraps and clean their mess. Afterwards aunt Petunia drags us by our ears and drops us in out rooms and tells us to keep quiet and sleep.

We silently nod and get ready for bed. We both get into our our single twin bed huddling together under our single linen blanket. We settle for the evening and I think onto the strange dreams I have had lately. I wonder if I should tell Jacob. After some deliberation I decide I should. "Big Brother, I have had some strange dreams lately. Are you awake." I whisper into his back.

He is silent for a moment "Yeah little brother. I am listening."

"I have been dreaming of our parents."

He snorts "What, about those dead beat people."

"That's just it. I don't think they're dead beat people. I think aunt Petunia lied to us."

"So you having fantasies about our parents, doesn't mean their good people."

"But their not fantasies their memories."

He turns around to face me "I thought you said they were dreams?"

I blush "Ye-yes." I stammer "They are dreams but they fell like memories. I remember them easily and They aren't blurry. They seem so real so I don't think it's dreams and fantasies."

He has a blank face "It doesn't matter. It's because of them that we are stuck here."

I am shocked "Bu-but it is not their fault."

"They died and we were sent here. Sounds like their fault."

"But they didn't ask to die!" I nearly screech.

"Little brother I'm tired lets just go to sleep. I don't want to fight you." with that he turns around and faces the wall.

I stare at his back wondering why he blames mom and dad. I just wanted to tell him that I remember what happened to mom. I remember the Strange man and the chains that shot out of their entwined hands towards them. I then remembers the red eye man who came and then the green light. Recently I have been feeling a call. I think something is going to happen soon. I don't know when but soon. I close my eyes nodding off to sleep.

\---------------------------  
The Next Day After School  
\---------------------------

"Where are you dragging me? You know I have working feet right?" questions my annoyed brother. We had just finished our day at school and again the teachers thought we were trouble makers. Dudley and his crew were bullying other kids during recess and, when the teacher came, he blamed it on us.

The whole day I have been distracted. I have had this feeling in my gut that something is going to happen today. The feeling is telling me that we should go to the stone gate in our grove. Something was going to meet us there. Today our lives were going to change. "We are going to the grove. Something interesting is going to happen today." I smile mysteriously.

He gives me a look "And this requires you to drag me?" he says arching his eyebrow.

I give him a pleading look.

After a moment he caves "Fineeeeeee."

I smile and continue to drag him towards the park. after walking for some time we arrive at the grove. Like always nothing is there. "Okay so what is this super interesting thing that is going to happen."

"I don't know what it is. I just know that something is going to happen." I smile cheekily.

He turns and glares at me. "Well I am going to go tend to my garden. You go and do whatever it is you do." with that he sharply turns his back to me and goes to his garden.

I know something interesting is going to happen so I start to go around and look to see if I can found this interesting thing. I walk up to the stone gateway and examine it. There are weird markings all over the stone gateway. It is about two people tall and looks very old. I start tracing my hands along the markings trying to alleviate my boredom. I starting getting bored with this and am about to leave when suddenly a raspy voice is heard from behind.

"Hello . . . My little . . . reaper." I turn around quickly only to let out a scream as I see a rotting corpse wearing a black cloak. My brother turns to me hearing my scream only to see the cloaked figure approaching me. He gives a full sprint towards the creature intent on knocking it over only for him to go through him and ram into to me. We crash into the floor in a tangle of limbs. we struggle to try get up and run only to pause when we hear laughter. We turn to look at the creature only to see a tall pale man.

"hahahaha, I haven't laugh that hard in a very long time." he says with a small grin. After he had recovered from his laughter he looks us in the eye "Well, hello little champions"

We continue to stare silently at him wondering what was happening.

"Oh come on. It can't be that confusing. Sit down." he gives a wave of his hand and the earth beneath us and him raise up to create three stone cylinders for us to sit on. He sits on his chair and waits for us to do the same.

We glance at each other and Jacob nods to me. We both slowly sit down keeping our eyes on this strange man, but something in my memories is screaming at me about something I need to remember. 

"Well come on . . . you can speak . . . what, do the dead got your tongue." he says amused

Jacobs choke back his words "Umm . . . sorry sir, but who are you?"

He gives us a appraising glance "So you don't remember me?" He points to me "I at least thought that you would remember me."

At that moment a memory emerges from the depths of my panicked and confused mind. It is the man from that night. The man whose hand had chains. "You were there that night." I shout out unexpectedly. Both him and my brother turn to me. I blush and looked down to my feet.

"There that night?" questions my brother.

I look to my brother from under my bangs. "It was what I was trying to tell you last night. I have been having dreams of the night our parents died and in that dream mom called this man to come and help."

Jacob turns to look at the man hoping he will confirm what I said. The man does so with a grin "Yes I was."

"So then what are you doing here?" questions Jacob.

"First off before I answer that question do you know what happened to your parents?" replies the man

Jacob nods his head "yes the drunks killed themselves in a car crash." he says crassly. My face falls into a frown, however I then become scared when I see the angered look on the man's face. The man's face shows a deep angry spanning his usually blank face "You were told they died in a car crash?" he questions softly. We looked to each other and back to him and nod. He takes a breath "WHO DARES TO SAY THEY DIED IN A CAR CRASH?" he shouts.

we both start to shake feeling some kind of energy come off him shaking the the ground and trees around us. He stands up at his full imposing height looking nothing like the sick man he once looked like. He starts pacing around trying to quell his anger only for the moment to be broken by a woman's voice.

"Do calm brother. You are not some uncouth man. Do get a hold of yourselves." The beautiful lady walks calmly and assuredly into the grove. Where ever she walks grass and flowers start to grow. she waves her hand and a new earth chair appears for her to sit on.

"Ahh sister. How lovely of you to grace us with your presence." speaks the man. "However back to my question who told your parents died in a car crash?"

I answer before my brother can put his foot further in his mouth "Our aunt and uncle did, sir"

"Through your mother, yes?"

I nod.

He gives a sigh and looks down to the ground and murmurs under his breath "I knew they said he was manipulative but really this is just bad." He looks back to the both of us "Your parents died heroes. Your parents died protecting you from a madman. Your parents certainly did not die because they were drunks and they did not die because of a car crash."

I smile relieved to know that I was right about my memories. I hesitate for a moment "Can you tell us what really happened to our parents?"

He turns to me "It is a sad tale, are you sure you want to hear it." 

I nod. He looks to me brother raising one eyebrow asking him silently if he wants to hair it. He to nods.

He takes a deep breath "First the two of you must know that you are not humans. You are wizards." Both of us open our mouths to question him but he holds up his hand before we can speak "Allow me to finish this tale before you wish to interrupt." We waits for the both of us to nod. "There is very little discrimination . . . umm an unjust treatment of someone because of something they can't control. Like your skin colour. The one thing they do discriminate however is on the idea of how pure someone's blood is or how they put how much magical family they have. Those who have full magical families are purebloods, those with some magic and some non-magic are half bloods and finally those without anything magical in their family is a muggleborn. This division of blood purity had not even a decade ago been the cause of war. Your parents fought for muggleborn and half blood rights. On Halloween night 1881 the leader of the enemy side choose to go after your family personally. He broke into your home and your father delayed him so that you and your mother had a chance, but the madman had put plans in place that prevented her escape so she instead went to your nursery and put up protections but she knew that they would not be enough so she could upon ancient bloodline magic and called upon me to make a deal to save you. Any questions yet?"

"Why help us?" asks Jacob

"Your ancestors were my first and last ever sworn servants. Your family acted as my influence in this world and as such I bound our bloodlines together. Your mother found one of your family's ancient book and swore you near birth to me. Those who are sworn to me are able to receive my aid. Thus your mother was able to make a deal for you." he answers

"Why didn't you save mom?" I ask

He gives me a sad look. "Your mother was only married into your bloodline and wasn't swore to me. As such I could not help."

"So why are you here now?" queries Jacob.

"You and your brother have become mine and my sister's servants. As such we are here to help you, but our powers are limited due to the rules of the universe and to allow our powers into this world our servants must go through trials to prove themselves. If they do then we can give them more of our powers."

"So are you here to give us a trial?" questions Jacob

The lady interrupts with a laugh "Oh no dear children. We are here to greet and to have you acknowledge us as your patrons. You are too young to be given a trial." she speaks

"Are you here to save us from our family." I ask hopeful.

She gains a sad look on her face "there is no place where we can take you where you will survive for long, but if you need a moment come here and we will listen."

"Do we have to agree to this or . . ." says Jacob.

Both of them reply at the same time "Yes"

The man speaks "your bloodline is connected to us and your mother bathed you in our energies thus binding you to us. This isn't a binding ritual. This is us coming here and acknowledging it."

"Why do I feel like you are not lying?" Jacob questions

The lady answers this one "Beings like us are unable to lie unless our domain is lies. All those can only speak the truth. They may hide information but whatever they say is the truth."

"Okay so what do we call you?" I ask.

The man speaks "I was fond of the Greeks and they named my Thanatos, but simply put I am Death itself."

The lady picks up where Death left off "The Greeks had called me Gaia. I am life and nature."

Together the speak "And you are our champions."


	3. Freedom in the death of an old life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time for the Potter twins to finally begin the ascent to become champions. A new life is started from the corpse of their old one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👋 so yes I am alive. The end to the last year was hectic so unfortunately this fix suffered. I am back however and soon plan to get this fix underway. I look forward to all your reviews. Please enjoy this chapter.

1988 March, Surrey Sunday

My brother Jacob and I look each other in the the eyes after their announcement. We sit there in silence waiting for something to happen. He just shrugs his shoulders and tips his head towards the powerful beings before us. I think about what does it mean for us to be champions. What is a champion. Note to self find a dictionary in the library. My thoughts are interrupted when Thanatos speaks.

“So are you shocked and amazed?” Questions Thanatos. He looks towards us with a hopeful look in his eye while Gaia looks upon this interaction amused.

“Um . . . sorry sir but was something supposed to happen after you said that we are your champions and also on another thought what does it mean that we are your champions, I thought we were servants?” I ask in reply voicing my earlier thoughts.

Thanatos’s shoulders slump inwards on himself and he begins to pout and mutter how his other servants always said he looked cool. Gaia gives a small giggle before clearing her throat.

“Each one of you is one of our champions. Jacob you are mine and Harry you are Thanatos and as such I can train and give my aid to you Jacob.” She says looking Jacob in the eye. She then looks to me “ and Thanatos, when he is done sulking like a petulant child, will be your teacher and the one you directly ask for aid.’” She takes a moment to breathe 

“Understand, as our champions we will train you in our ancient arts and give you task to both improve yourselves and improve the world around.” She looks to Jacob “You will learn of the elements and how to bind them to your will. Your tasks will have to do will helping to revive life and keep it safe. You will also . . .”

After she says this I tune her out and think what would my tasks be. I am deaths champion so does that mean I have to kill people. I can’t kill someone. I am only eight. I struggle to breathe spiraling further and further down horrifying thoughts only for a hand to shake my out of my thoughts. I look around seeing everyone’s distressed eyes. I only just realized that there is a moisture on my face. In front of me stand Thanatos. He crouches down to one knee and brings a hand to my face, resting it on my cheek. Using his thumb he wipes away my tears and gives me a soft smile.

“What is wrong my little reaper?” He questions softly and gently

I sniff bit and rub my eyes. “I d-don’t want to-to have to bring d-death to everyone. I do-don’t want to k-kill anyone.” I stutter.

He draws me into his arms and whispers softly. “Don’t worry my little reaper. You were never going to have to kill anyone. I have much older reapers to go and collect the souls of the damned and just. You will learn of my ancient art. It is called Necromancy and although it can be scary it is also up-lifting.” He pauses giving me a chance to process everything he just said.

I look towards my brother who has slowly started walking towards me. He has a pensive look on his face, worry clear for all to see in his eyes. I look back to Thanatos and ask.

“Then what am I going to do?” Saying it just loud enough for my brother and Gaia to hear.

He gives me a calming smile before speaking “you will not be trying to create more death but to keep balance of it. My reapers claim the souls of mortals but some souls go to a great many lengths to not come to me and my domain. There are others who have come to my realm and then unleash havoc . . . “ he pauses seeing the look of confusion on my face. “There are some who escape me but don’t truly escape me. They come back as monsters, things of nightmare and not right this very moment but your tasks would be not killing them but sending them back to me so I can deal with them. But don’t forget your brother will be there with you.”

“Really I don’t have to do it alone?” I question

“Damn right you aight gonna do it alone.” I hear from my side where my brother stands with a determined look on his face. “We have survived everything together, what’s another little adventure.” He says with a cheeky smile. 

My eyes feel a little bit moist and I wipe it away. I give him a watery smile. “Yeah brother, one more adventure.” I give a small chuckle.

The moment is interrupted by Gaia “Remember you tasks and trials still await you. You will first get training in your arts and training your magic. Only after you are ready will you be sent on your trials.” She gives us a reassuring smile.

A silence settles around us giving both my brother and I a chance to process all that has been said to us. I think about our time with aunt ‘angry horse-face’ Petunia and uncle ‘the fat walrus’ Vernon and I look to the smiling Gaia and Thanatos and think we could have a new family my brother and I. I give a small giggle at the thought of all four of us living together in Privet drive. After a bit longer I ask

“Well when do we start and also how are we gonna train? We have lots of chores and aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon will never let us go away for a long time and we have school as well so when are we going to . . .”

My speech is interrupted by Thanatos and my brother laughing and Gaia giggling. I look at them in confusion thinking over everything I just said wondering if I did something stupid. I blush thinking I am an idiot.

“Don’t worry.” says Thanatos with a look saying he knows exactly what is going on in my head. “We are aren’t laughing at you but more at how quickly you changed from sad to happy and how quick you spoke so suddenly.”

I look down to my feet continuing to blush until I feel a soft punch to my shoulder. I turn seeing it was my brother who has yet to leave from my side “Come on brother, you are killing me here with your blushing.” 

I nod and look back to Thanatos and Gaia and take a breath. “So how is this going to work?”

Thanatos is the one to answer “After school each day you will come here to this door.” He says pointing to the stone arch. “This is one of the first doors to the champions of the ancients. Most doors can go to any realm whether mine or another’s. Some doors however only go to one specific realm. When you arrive we will come and open the door and take you both to our realms where I shall train Harry and Gaia shall train Jacob. Worry not about spending to much time there because time works differently. You could spend days with us and lose only but moments. Of course you won’t be with us for days as that is not advisable.”

I slowly take his explanation in “so when do the trials and tasks start.”

Thanatos grins at my question. “You will only be given your tasks after you have proven yourselves as champions when you complete your first trial. You will only begin your first trial when I believe you have learnt enough.”

“So we are both going to go with you tomorrow and every afternoon afterwards.” I say trying to confirm everything I know.

Thanatos shakes his head. “No, Harry you will come with me to my realm and Jacob will go with Gaia to her realm.”

Silence sets in and we look around awkwardly waiting for the next thing to happen. After so time I ask

“So what now?” 

Gaia answers “Go home and act like nothing is different. Go to school, do your chores and quietly sneak off here after after school on your way home. Till tomorrow when we see you. Goodbye for now.” 

With that both Gaia and Thanatos walk through the the arch and disappear leaving us to mull over our thoughts. My brother walks to stand in front of me and looks at me imploringly.

“So I didn’t think that woulda happened today. You sure you up for this little brother?” He questions.

I look him directly in the eye “Yes I am sure, but only al long as you are with me. Only as long as we are together big brother.”

He gives a nod of the head and he heads off, back to Privet drive. I follow only to look back at the arch wondering where this event will take us. I turn back to see my brother brother looking at me questioningly. I shake my head and run to catch up with him. We walk side by side heading to Privet drive.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

1988 March, Surrey Monday

I am sitting at my desk at the back of the classroom feeling tired after the long day. I keep thinking on how bad the day has been from being forced to wake up at the crack of dawn to doing all of our chores because ‘you are going to school and I want the chores down before school ends’. Then Dudley and his gang had a go at me and Jacob during break. Likely for Jacob and I Dudley and his minions won’t go within a meter of the library, so we hid there during break time. Brother sat bored watching the other kids play while I read a book on Greek mythology. 

School isn’t to terrible. Sure Dudley won’t allow us friends and sure we have no lunch by Dudley can’t really doing anything to us in class because the teachers might not like us but the won’t tolerate any of us doing anything rude to one another.

I stare at the white clock on the bland wall listening to the teacher answering the same question on the math sheet by nearly every child instead of just doing it will the whole class. I will the clock to move faster getting more and more excited as the bell nears its end. This is the last period of the school day and then finally we can leave and head for the stone doorway. 

I can’t wait to see all the cool things I am going to learn. I am a little bit sad that brother and I can’t learn together but at least we will be learning at the same time. I really hope we get to do some magic today.

My thoughts are interrupted by the screech of the school bell. For some reason the school decided to use something that sounds similar to an air horn. It is not a pleasant sound.

I start to rush quickly trying to pack away all my work so that I can get my brother and we can head to the arch before Dudley and his gang decide to do some Potter-hunting as they like to call it which just amounts to the chasing my brother while he carries me.

I Finnish packing away and run straight to my brothers desk. He has an amused grin on his face. He was already packed before I even got to him. I just continue to look at continuously moving unable to keep myself still. He sits laid back legs stretched out before home back resting fully against the back rest

“Come on Jacob. We need to go before we are late.” I say

“We can’t be late Harry. It isn’t possible because they didn’t give us a time to be there. You just are impatient.” He replies cheekily

My face immediately becomes a frown and I glare at my brother with an annoyed look in my eye crossing my arms over my chest.

My brother continues speaking “Come on now we both know it is true brother mine.”

My glare intensifies. I start tapping my foot to show I am waiting

He gives a roll of his eyes “fine you little pipsqueak let’s go before you decide to rip my arm off.” He grins before dashing out of the classroom leaving me by myself. I stand in shock trying to process what just happened and then dash out the classroom after my brother.

“Get back here right now Jacob.” I shout after him running through the hallways trying to catch up.

“I thought you wanted to get to the park before we are late brother.” He shouts back

The game continues the whole way to the park with both of shouting at one another different things laughing and being kids. 

We arrive at the small grove in the park and await for Gaia and Thanatos to come and get us. We are both breathing heavily sitting down on the ground trying to catch our breath. We were so tired we didn’t even notice Thanatos until place one hand on each of our shoulders and shouting in our ears causing both of us to flail 

“Well you two seem excited to get to learning.”

“Brother must you scare the life out of them. Is that an infringement on my domain I wonder?” Speaks Gaia our loud

After making sure that my heart is back in my chest after it nearly left through my through I ask “What is infringement? Also hello.” I give a small wave of my hand

Gaia looks down to me forgetting that both Jacob and I are young. She gives me a smile “Infringement is when something goes against something us.”

I ponder for a moment “So basically breaking the rules.”

“Kind of” Gaia replies.

“Well what are we waiting for let’s get this show of the road.” Speaks Jacob from behind me.

Both Thanatos and Gaia nod. Thanatos offers me his hand for me to take. And grab it and we start to head towards the door. Thanatos places his hand against the the runes craved upon the stone arch. The start to glow and then it looks like pale white water comes down from the top of the arch down to the floor. The water looks like it is constantly rippling.

Thanatos gestures with his hand for me to go through. I do so never letting go of his hand. On the other side of the water I see floating islands with gardens everywhere and white stone fences going around each island and white stone statues and sculptures everywhere. Tending to the gardens and statues are white robed and white masked people who look somewhat see through.

“Thanatos who are they?” 

Upon speaking many of the people quickly turn towards where Thanatos and I stand. I can hear some of them gasp and they quickly walk to towards us and I stare at them In Confusion wondering what is going on.

The group is that of three people, two men and one woman. The person leading the group is a tall and broad man while the other man and woman are quite short. The man bows his head in respect of Thanatos and then kneel on one knee before me. I looked at him bewildered at what is happening. He removes his mask and begins to speak

“Don’t worry little one. I know it scary to be here and all by yourself. My name is David little one. What is yours?” Speaks the man calmly and gently.

I stare at him in utter confusion why I would be scared. I look to Thanatos with a raised eyebrow trying to get him to understand my question without me needing to verbalize it. All I receive in answer is and amused grin and look. I look back to the man realizing he is waiting for an answer.

“U-um my name is Harry, sir”

He gives my a jovial smile “Harry is a nice name.”

He reaches out for me and pulls me into the most uncomfortable hug I have ever received. At first I was stiff and just trying to get away but just stand still staring at Thanatos while David slowly whispers that everything will be okay and that now all the pain is gone. Pain, what does he mean the pain is gone? After he releases me I again look and Thanatos asking what is going on and this time the confusion is visible on my face causing David to look upset.

Both David and I are startle when Thanatos burst out with laughter, holding his stomach, and chocking on his words.

“You should see the look on your face Harry. Oh that was priceless.” He mimes swiping a tear away.

David looks cross. “My lord now is not the time to be playing games with this poor child!”

Thanatos looks David straight in the eye and grins “He is not dead David, he is my champion.”

David blushes realizing that he made a mistake. “Well then. I shall leave you to your studies and Harry if you need anything here, just ask for me and I will gladly come and help.” With that David pits his mask back on and heads off to continue with gardening

Once they have left I turn to Thanatos and finally ask “What just happened?”

“These are my private gardens” he gestures around him to all the floating islands. “Here spirts and shades recuperate from the life they have lived enjoying the peace of the garden.” He replies 

“That does not answer about the pain and fear David thought I had.”

“Well you see. Only those who have truly suffered horrible lives ever come to the gardens. For him to see a child of all things here, he thought you must have lived a very terrible and painful life.”

“But I have lived a painful life.” I state with a blank face and neutral voice.

Thanatos places a hand on my shoulder giving it a squeeze “you have Harry and you will face more yet, but the life I am speaking is far more worse than your own. I will explain when your older and can understand better.”

“So where are we going now?”

He points an island with a very pretty building on it. It is the highest of all the islands. “We go to my temple for your first lesson.” 

He places both hands on my shoulders and a black portal swallows the both of us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have the longest chapter yet. I hope the new year is fairing better for all of you 😁


End file.
